A woman and three brothers
by Epic Hero Laugh
Summary: The Jamie Potter universe's version of the tale of three brothers. DH spoilers, and Jamie's story spoilers. to help readers reading the christmas chapter of my book Enjoy, r&r all dat good stuff. one shot. complete


A woman and three brothers

"'There were once a woman and three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight –'"

"In time, they reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across. However, these four were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure.

"'And Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of the four new victims, for travelers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate them upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him.

"'So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death! So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother.

"'Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead.

"'And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility.'"

The woman was deeply in love with the third brother, and so to impress him, she asked for the same.

Death pondered, for he had only one cloak, and soon decided to take a snippet in a golden locket so it would work the same.

"'Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers and the woman to continue on their way, and they did so talking with wonder of the adventure they had had and admiring Death's gifts.

"'In due course they all separated, each for his own destination.

"'The first brother traveled on for a week more, and reaching a distant village, sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible.

"'That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay, wine-sodden upon his bed. The thief took the wand and for good measure, slit the oldest brother's throat.

"'And so Death took the first brother for his own.

"'Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him.

"'Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself so as to truly join her.

"'And so Death took the second brother from his own.

The woman finally accepted that the third brother would never love her, so she married and fell in love with and married another man, though she never forgot the third brother. One day, the third brother realized her loved her, and so he decided to find her. He searched and found her. All the feelings she had denied came back to her and she ran and kissed him. Her husband was enraged, and in an act of fury, he killed the woman.

And so Death took the woman for his own.

"'But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him again. It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother took off the Cloak of Invisibility for only the second time, and gave it to his son. And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life.'"


End file.
